Savage Axis XP 2: Long-Range Shooting & Hunting on a Budget

A lot of hunters and casual target shooters are interested in trying out the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge to see what all the rage is about. Others are looking for a light-recoiling gun to introduce a youngster to deer hunting. The Savage Axis II XP will not disappoint in either application, and the best part is it won’t break the bank to do it. Savage provides tremendous value in this rifle and scope package for around $500, and Savage rifles have always been known for their accuracy. 

Before we get into the specifics of the rifle, let me share some quick history of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Hornady designed it in 2007 as a light-recoiling round with long bullets and high ballistic coefficients to appeal to precision shooters. It quickly showed its stuff by outpacing the venerable .308 in accuracy and wind resistance at extended ranges of 1,000 yards and beyond. That coupled with the lighter recoil has made it a winning choice for competitive shooters.

I’ve been a fan of the .260 Remington cartridge for similar reasons stated above, but factory ammo selection was often limited as its popularity never really took off. You were almost forced to handload ammunition to shoot long range. With the success and adoption of the 6.5 Creedmoor, there is now a vast array of factory ammunition choices available to the average hunter.  If you’re not a handloader, the Creedmoor is definitely the better choice of these two calibers.

Gun Specs

The Axis II rifles offer several great features, especially considering the price point. If you’re familiar with the original Axis, one of the first things you’ll notice is the stock has been reshaped for improved ergonomics. The grip area is slim yet comfortable, with enough there to offer control, but not too much for those with smaller hands.

There’s also a healthy recoil pad at the butt with plenty of flex for comfort, especially when shooting the light recoiling 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. Up front are recessed grooves where your fingers naturally come to rest, allowing the rifle to easily settle into a stable hold. Savage includes a four-round removable box magazine, which makes it quicker and easier to load and unload the gun at the end of a hunt. 

AccuTrigger

The other major upgrade in the Axis II is a feature most have come to expect in Savage rifles these days – the AccuTrigger. This system is easily adjustable by the shooter, offers a light, clean pull with no creep, and prevents the firearm from discharging if jarred or dropped. You can adjust the pull weight from 2.5-6 pounds. I measured the trigger pull weight on this rifle out of the box right at 3½ pounds. 

That’s all great, but what makes a Savage a Savage is the attention to detail in the barrel and receiver. Of the ones I’ve owned, I have always been impressed with their accuracy. There are a few key features related to the barrel and receiver that lower manufacturing costs while also improving accuracy. 

Barrel & Receiver

First, the barrel is button-rifled for a consistent bore diameter, and since it’s chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, it features a 1:8 twist rate or one full bullet rotation in 8 inches of barrel length. Next, the barrel is mated to the receiver with thread-in head spacing. By threading Savage barrels into place with their individual action and bolt, Savage forms a hand-fit, perfectly matched set that is secured with a barrel locknut. This zero-tolerance approach to headspace helps provide the accuracy of custom rifles from factory firearms. 

Floating Bolt Head

Last is the floating bolt head design. When an entire bolt is one monolithic unit, things must be sized and adjusted so that the bolt lugs engage and lock perfectly with the barrel and ensuring that the bolt face is exactly square to the cartridge base. This is common in custom rifles, but it greatly increases the cost. With the Axis II, the bolt head is separate and connected to the bolt body by a rod with a bit of play in it. And since the floating bolt head is designed to allow a few thousandths of an inch of movement, it can adjust itself for a perfect fit typically only found in rifles with hand-lapped locking lugs. When you close the bolt, the floating head centers itself, resulting in perfect lug engagement and a squared bolt face for increased accuracy.

Bushnell Banner Scope

One of the big benefits of the Axis II XP is that it comes out of the box with a  3x9x40 Bushnell Banner scope and Weaver-style rings mounted and ready to go. I was really impressed with the clarity and low-light performance of the scope that rivals scopes costing hundreds of dollars more.

Also included is a CF500 BDC reticle that you can use with the Bushnell app to dial in the drop for your ammo at ranges out to around 500 yards. The Banner retails for $100 and is one of the key components that make the value so much higher than the $500 price for the combo. With that said, if you want to change or upgrade the scope in the future it will be easy as you can use standard rings. 

The folks at the factory boresight the scope when it’s mounted to have you on paper at 100 yards. Of course, only boresighting any gun is never “good enough” to go out and hunt. Different ammo impacts at different points, so be sure you sight in your ammo of choice. The scope adjusts for windage and elevation in ¼ MOA per click increments, so each click will move the point of impact ¼-inch at 100 yards.

Range Time

I took the Savage Axis II XP for a range outing on a clear, cool 55-degree day in December with virtually no wind. For ammo testing, I fired three different factory loads at 100 yards from a Bulls Bag X7 shooting rest and a rear pinch bag. I also fired three-shot groups, which I believe is a more realistic test for this type of hunting rifle as shooting volume will likely be low. In addition, my friend was shooting another rifle, which allowed the Savage time to cool down after every three-shot group. If you shoot a rifle like this too fast, it can heat up the sporter barrel and cause shot stringing and skew your group results. 

Federal Fusion

First, I tested the Federal Fusion 140-grain Soft Point hunting ammo with a factory-rated velocity of 2,725 fps. Unfortunately, this round did not perform well in this rifle. It had the largest group size by far at 3.6 inches, and is an example of how ammo can shoot differently in a particular gun. 

Hornady ELD-X

Next up was the Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X 143 grain with a factory-rated velocity of 2,700 fps. It produced much better results with 1-inch average groups, and I quickly decided to zero it to use as my primary hunting round. After a quick calculation and adjusting elevation, it produced the best group of the day at just under an inch. 1-MOA performance in this price category is impressive and lives up to Savage’s reputation for accuracy.

The final load was the Sellier & Bellot 140-grain Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail with a factory-rated velocity of 2,657 fps. I was looking for a relatively inexpensive FMJ round for practice and target shooting. It produced the second-best group at 1.3 inches, and I was pleasantly surprised that the point of impact was very close to the Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X. 

After testing the loads at 100 yards, I shot the Hornady ELD-X and S&B loads at 200 yards and averaged 2-inch groups to increase my confidence for hunting. Now I was ready to test the round’s effectiveness on deer since Tennessee’s gun season was still open. On a cold December morning only a couple of weeks later, I was blessed to harvest the nice buck below. The bullet performed exceptionally well, and the buck only ran 30 yards before expiring. 

If you’re looking for a ready-to-hunt package that is pleasant to shoot and won’t break the bank, the Savage Axis 2 XP is an excellent choice. It’s accurate and has many features that you will appreciate. For more information, visit savagearms.com or call (800) 370-0708.

Factory Specifications 

Where To Buy

Performance

Notes: Bullet weight measured in grains and accuracy in inches for averaging two three-shot groups at 100 yards.

This article originally appeared at ShootingSavvy.com and is reprinted here with permission. 

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